Amazon Is Bringing Wi-Fi Routers In-House by Acquiring Eero

The company will compete with Google Wi-Fi

Amazon is acquiring mesh Wi-Fi start-up Eero in a move that will let the Seattle-based giant expand its ever expanding assortment of smart-home capabilities.

The acquisition, announced today, gives Amazon more integration with its Alexa-equipped devices while improving Wi-Fi coverage within the home. The deal is still subject to standard regulatory approval but could be appealing for customers that want to add more devices while blanketing Internet connectivity through more rooms by providing multiple access points.

The news comes just weeks after 2019 Consumer Electronics Show, where both the world’s largest tech companies and much smaller startups showcased the future of smart homes. In a statement, Dave Limp, svp of Amazon devices and services, said Amazon and Eero have a “shared vision that the smart home service can get even easier.”

“From the beginning, Eero’s mission has been to make the technology in homes just work,” Nick Weaver, co-founder and CEO of Eero, said in the statement. “We started with Wi-Fi because it’s the foundation of the modern home. Every customer deserves reliable and secure Wi-Fi in every room.”

He added that “by joining the Amazon family, we’re excited to learn from and work closely with a team that is defining the future of the home, accelerate our mission and bring Eero systems to more customers around the globe.”

Amazon won’t be the only company with its own in-house mesh Wi-Fi router. Already, Google manufactures its own Google Wi-Fi, which it released in 2016. And while traditional software companies like Google and Amazon continue to build out their suites of hardware, Apple recently exited the router business last year when it discontinued its AirPort division.